The county has tried a number of fixes, including patching and placing precast panels of concrete inside the tower.

The patching didn't provide a long-term fix, and the tower wasn't designed to support the weight of the panels.

Officials even considered taking down the tower, but Leu believes the cost would “prohibitive.”

Most recently, the county hired Rene Dupris, a specialist from Structural Research, a Middleton firm that specializes in solving such problems. Dupris has worked on a variety of buildings including Holy Hill in Hubertus.

Dupris reviewed the original blueprints and didn't see any flaw in the inherent design of the tower, Leu said.

The tower was constructed with the proper weeps, structures intended to allow water to escape from the walls, but for some reason the weeps aren't working, Leu said.

Dupris couldn't diagnosis the problem immediately but plans to do more research. On Sept. 25, Comer Stone Construction, a Janesville masonry firm, will remove pieces of brick so Dupris and staff can get a closer look at the interior of the tower walls and overall structure.

To date, patching work for the tower has cost less than $5,000, Leu said. The consultant has cost $9,900.

Construction of the courthouse took three years, and it opened to the public in 1999.

Initially, there were problems with the design of the courtrooms, with judges being unable to see witnesses. Attorney's complained, too, that courtroom tables were too small and too close to the jury boxes. Some windows leaked.

Adjustments were made to accommodate both attorneys and judges, and the leaks were fixed.